


Anarchy in Tokyo

by BuddhaForMary



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Anarchy, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Humanstuck, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-12
Updated: 2013-01-21
Packaged: 2017-11-25 07:21:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/636493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuddhaForMary/pseuds/BuddhaForMary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Karkat and his schoolmates are in Tokyo for their senior year school trip. However, the Japanese government mysteriously collapses and the group is separated and thrust into a world of split alliances, violence and illegal activity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Entertainment

In the light from the electronic billboards, a huge group of high school-aged students made their way along the clean pavement. There was almost twenty of them, all either laughing or looking positively miserable. One of them stepped out before the rest and made them stop. His tousled blonde hair made him stand out from the rest. He had a scowl on his face, and his voice rose above even the sounds of the taxis honking and pedestrians yammering in Japanese. He regarded those of his group with cold, dark eyes. After he'd finally gotten their attention, he cleared his throat.

"So, guys, we're gonna split up and go to different parts of the city, explore a bit, since we haven't really been able to do so while being here. Dave, John, Sollux and I are gonna go check out the cinemas. The rest of you can decide what the hell you're going to do, I'm not the fucking boss of any of you. Remember, always be with at least one other person. Leave no man behind, everyone!"

One of the young women in the group raised her hand. She was short with bobbed black hair. She spoke loudly, but nowhere near as menacingly as the leader.

"Karkat! Can I go to one of the pet stores? We passed by one and the kitties are so cute!"

Karkat rolled his eyes. "Fine. Just fucking take someone with you, Nepeta."

The girl named Nepeta turned to a strong-looking boy at her side. "Come with me, Equius!"

He looked down at her from his height and mustered a miniscule smile. "Alright, Nep. Anything you'd like to do."

Yet another raised their hand. Karkat grumbled to himself. "Yes, Tavros?"

"We can go wherever right?"

"YES OKAY YOU CAN GO WHEREVER THE FUCK YOU WANT, OKAY? AS LONG AS YOU GET BACK TO THE HOST'S HOUSE BY ONE. JESUS FUCKING CHRIST. I HOPE EVERYONE HEARD THAT, BUT JUST FUCKING IN CASE, YOU CAN GO WHEREVER YOU WANT SO LONG AS YOU GET BACK BY ONE IN THE GOD DAMN MORNING. IS THAT CLEAR?" Karkat's voice rose higher with the sound of agitation.

A snobbish boy's voice responded, "Yes, yes, that's all good and well, stop throwing a hissy fit and let us leave already."

The girl called Nepeta turned around and admonished the man. "Eridan! Don't be mean to Karkitty!"

Karkat winced at the nickname she'd made up for him and turned around. He called out for Sollux to follow suit, along with John and Dave. 

Sollux and Dave both had an appearance similar to Karkat's. The only distinction factors were Sollux's lisp and height and Dave's build. While Karkat was short and stocky, Sollux was like a string bean. Dave was of average height and leanly muscled. John, on the other hand, was almost as short as Karkat, and about as slender as Sollux. His hair was far darker than the other's, a shining jet black. He would have blended in much better with the native residents than his friends.

Karkat waited, tapping his foot against the cement impatiently, wishing that his best friend would hurry the fuck up and drag the two other knuckleheads with him. Karkat had originally been reluctant to let John and Dave come with him and Sollux. Karkat had never been the biggest fan of Dave, and he didn't really know John. From what he'd heard though, Karkat had formed the opinion that John was a stereotypical nerd: weak, intelligent and a little corny. Now, Dave. Karkat had known Dave since elementary school, and the kid had always been a cocky, foolish asshole with no sense of direction. He rapped for fun (terribly, Karkat might add) and frequently said "Dude" and "Bro". He didn't understand how Sollux befriended such a lowly creature. 

FInally, Sollux joined Karkat's side, John and Dave in tow. Karkat let out a sigh of exasperation. "I thought you'd get fucking second thoughts or some shit, what, with how long you were taking. Now let's fucking go. I wanna go get some food before the movie."

"Blame John, he was having a fit about not being able to understand the movie," Dave explained, nudging John roughly.

"Hey, don't blame me, you dick!" John pushed him back ineffectively.

Sollux leaned over to Karkat. "This is what's been happening all day."

Karkat hissed through his teeth, "Fan-fucking-tastic, Sollux. This is gonna be the longest fucking night of my life."

* * *

 

When Karkat and the others left, the rest of the teens broke off. Nepeta and Equius gathered two others, Feferi and Tavros, to go with them to the pet stores. They waved to the others as they walked back the way they came, Nepeta in the the lead.

"Guys, this is going to be amazing! There's so many kitties in the store we passed! We have to look!"

"Were there any fish there?" Feferi, a girl with long dark curls and inquisitive eyes asked.

"I didn't look too far into it, but I bet!" Nepeta skipped on, grinning.

Feferi's face broke into an expression of bliss and simultaneous excitement. "I hope they have rainbow fish!"

The two girls chattered excitedly, and Tavros and Equius exchanged glances with each other. Glances that screamed a simple yet resonant, "Why me?" 

When the girls had gotten far enough ahead, Equius pushed his long hair away from his face, already feeling the slight regret. Sure, he loved being around Nepeta, but when there were cats, he became invisible. Tavros was just hoping there were bigger animals there, at the very least, dogs he could play with. That would alleviate his boredom.

* * *

 

Yet another group split off, in a completely different direction from the others. A group of four girls: Kanaya, Aradia, Jade and Rose. They decided to check out the adorable clothing shops around the city, and see if they could get anything good for a small amount of money. Rose was the only one who stood out from the rest; she had a shock of white-blonde hair that she bleached to perfection and cared for on a daily basis. She was also the curviest of all the girls, and looked at least 20. Kanaya and Jade were the tallest, but also the most slender. Kanaya was much like a model, with an attitude to match. Jade, however, was definitely more humble. She wasn't huge on fancy things like Kanaya, but she did love style. Aradia was the most different of all three; her style was actually sort of boring. Always t-shirts, always jeans. No accessories or skirts. She did, however, love all sorts of shoes; she owned at least 20 pairs and had brought half of those with her.

The group of girls walked down the streets of Tokyo chatting about the biggest fashion trends, their voices rising in excitement with the occasional squeal of happiness. This lent them strange looks from the Japanese people paired with hushed whispers of their lack of control. Kanaya was the first to notice.

"Hey, ladies, I think we're freaking people out. Tone it down a little, okay?" Her voice was calm yet firm.

"But we're having fun, Kanaya. Loosen up; it's Japan. No one can judge us here!" Jade's voice was the opposite of Kanaya's; light and free.

"I agree with Jade. It's all about having fun," Aradia insisted, smiling a little.

"We can have fun without being so loud," Rose's voice was colored with a slight hint of defensiveness.

"Yeah, okay. Us? Quiet? You know we never are."

Jade laughed, nodded in agreement with Aradia and took the lead of the group. "Yeah, Aradia's right. Let's go!"

* * *

 

The remaining members of the group regarded each other warily. Eridan, the boy who had spoken earlier, adjusted the scarf that he wore at all times, feeling his skin become warm with awkward embarrassment. Gamzee, a shaggy-haired boy with an obsession over Insane Clown Posse, took a cigarette out of his back pocket, lit it, and started to smoke. Vriska, a dark-featured girl with mistrusting eyes, looked around and settled upon staring at the ground. The first to speak was a blind girl by the name of Terezi. She felt for Eridan and tugged on his scarf.

"I can't even fucking tell what's happening, so can we just go somewhere that I can at least have a clue?"

"Well, we're standing in the middle of a sidewalk in Tokyo. How did your parents even let you come on this trip, Rez?" Eridan's face scrunched in puzzlement.

"I don't know? If I can't see what's the point? I guess they thought it would be good for me somehow?"

Gamzee chuckled a little. "Hey, parents do weird shit sometimes, you know? They let you do certain things that you shouldn't, and they tell you not to do things you should. It's life, man."

"What the fuck are you blathering about, stoner?" Vriska's tone was immediately bitchy.

"Don't be so uptight, princess. Need a smoke?" Gamzee reached in his back pocket to retrieve another cigarette. "I re-rolled them with a special something."

Vriska's jaw dropped. "Is that even legal here?"

Eridan squeezed the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe this is the group I'm stuck in."

"Shut up, Brit boy, you could have gone with Kanaya and gone shopping," Terezi's tone turned a bit vicious.

"Oh wait, she hates him, don't you recall, Terezi?" Vriska smiled bitterly.

"Hey, hey, leave Eridan alone, chica. He didn't do shit, so get over it. It was all Kanaya," Gamzee insisted.

Eridan leaned over and whispered to Gamzee, "Thanks, man."

Vriska huffed. "Fine. Me and Terezi are gonna split off and go to a cafe or some shit. Have fun being idiots!"

Vriska took Terezi by the hand and walked west. Eridan rubbed his temples frustratedly, then turned to Gamzee. Gamzee inhaled another puff of greenish smoke and grinned at Eridan. He held out the cigarette and smiled impishly. "Wanna hit?"

Eridan contemplated for a moment, and then finally responded, "Sure. Why the fuck not?"

Let's just say that Gamzee and Eridan remembered nothing of the night, and got back to the host house late.


	2. Homesick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All the teens are at their host's house for their last evening, with the exception of Gamzee and Eridan, who are out doing god-knows-what. The teens are all preparing to go back home, but are rudely awoken the morning of their departure.

~In a suburban neighborhood 33 miles outside of the city~

The week in Tokyo had been productive for the group. All of the boys had gotten a lot of sight-seeing and food-consuming done, and the girls had gone through the clothing stores and museums to exasperating lengths. Tonight was the last night of the trip, and their host family was serving them a traditional Japanese dinner. After the meal, Eridan and Gamzee had chosen to step out for a bit though, insisting that they had to 'take care of something'. Everyone had dismissed it and gone to the large common room that they usually hung out in before going out to town. However, tonight, they decided to spend the time laughing and talking about life and other things.

"I really don't want to leave yet, you know? This place is so much better than home! I do miss my dad, though."

Feferi was laying on the couch, her head dangling over the edge. Next to her was Kanaya, who was laughing silently and shaking her head.

"I honestly can't wait to get home. I love how hospitable this family has been, and I love the clothes and food, but I just want to get home and pet my cats. I miss them," she sighed, pushing her chestnut colored hair back.

"You think you miss your cats? Mine are the only living things I talk to in my house!" Nepeta had walked in just then, holding a fizzy drink and nabbing a spot on the floor next to Equius. After she took a sip, she nudged him. "What do you think, Equius?"

He shook his head and smiled a bit forlornly. "I don't want to go. This place is incredibly interesting and the culture is beautiful. The people are so polite and everything is so... Different from Oregon. From America, even. People actually appreciate others here. I wouldn't be too torn up if we stayed here for good."

"Equius is right, you know. The people here know how to fucking live. Their movies are weird as fuck though. Right, Sollux?" Karkat nudged his friend.

"Yeah! Like I don't even know what we saw this week. On Wednesday it was some animated movie with tentacle porn or some shit." He flipped his blonde hair out of his face. "It was the weirdest shit ever," he looked at John, "And that is exactly why you are no longer allowed to pick what we see, even when we get back to Portland."

"Hey! It's not like I knew what it was about!" John shook his head and laughed a little.

"Seriously, it was all like these little bitches being fucked by an octopus and I think they were trying to save the world. It was mad weird, dude," Dave reclined in his chair further, putting his arms behind his head. 

Vriska cleared her throat. "Why the fuck are we talking about this?"

Tavros shot her a look. "Chill, Vris, we're just talking about our week. How was yours, since you seem to have a stick shoved up your ass?"

Vriska's eyes narrowed. "For your information, Tavros, my week was awesome. I spent it with Terezi and we went to the parks and lakes and met some awesome new friends."

"Yeah, too bad I couldn't see any of it. But thanks for being my guide, anyway, Vris," Terezi teased, a smile on her face.

Vriska patted the blind girl's shoulder. "Anytime, Terezi."

Jade finally spoke up. "Where the hell are Eridan and Gamzee?"

Rose was the first to reply, her tone all snark. "Probably out butt-fucking eachother."

A roar of laughter rose in the room, from all except Vriska and Sollux. The laughter died down when others noticed that there was not a peep coming from Sollux. He just had his arms crossed as he stared at his feet. Aradia got up from her spot on the floor and flicked the back of Sollux's head. "What's the matter, party pooper?"

Sollux swatted her hand away. "I'm going to bed. I need to sleep."

Vriska got up and agreed with him. "So do I. Goodnight everyone."

"Goodnight...?" Aradia's voice trailed off into a question.

Everyone in the room looked puzzled, except for Karkat. He shrugged it off and looked around at everyone else. "I'm sure it's fucking nothing guys. Now let's just let them have their little fucking pity party or whatever the fuck they're doing."

Nepeta spoke up. "I'd actually like to talk about all that!"

John agreed, "Yeah! What the hell is going on there?"

Karkat rolled his eyes. "It's probably not impor-"

"I think Sollux likes Eridan or something," Feferi suggested calmly.

"Well that may be true but-"

"And it seems as though Vriska may fancy Gamzee. Because she hates Eridan, so it's only logical," Equius pondered aloud.

"You don't know if that's true, I mean-"

"IT MAKES SENSE, KARKITTY! THERE'S NO WAY THAT IT ISN'T TRUE!" Nepeta's high voice shrilled through the room.

Tavros laughed. "There does seem to be something up there."

"God, that's fucking disgusting!" Dave shouted. "Eridan and Sollux? Gag me with a fucking dirty sock!"

"No, Vriska and Gamzee makes even less sense! She's so rude to him all the time, it's horrible!" Jade interjected.

"Well sometimes he deserves it," Aradia mentioned quietly.

"No, I think Eridan's the one that is in need of a slap or something. He's so arrogant all the time," Equius added calmly.

"I ship it all so hard!"

"EVERYBODY SHUT THE FUCK UP OKAY?" Karkat silenced the people in the room. Once he looked at them to make sure that he had their attention, he spoke again, a little quieter this time. "Look, Gamzee is one of my best friends in the fucking world, okay? So don't you dare say shit about him. Vriska can like him all she wants because he's a fucking awesome dude. And goddamnit, Sollux is my absolute best friend. While Eridan is a complete toolbox, I support Sollux with whatever makes him happy. Now will all of you stop fucking complaining about shit that doesn't concern you and just move on with your fucking lives?"

During all of this, Terezi had been sitting strangely silently, smiling to herself. When Karkat noticed, he let out a huge sigh. "Terezi, what the hell do you find so amusing?"

She let out a mischievous giggle. "You are all so slow to catch on, you know."

Tavros spoke first. "What do you mean by that, Terezi?"

"Yeah, what is that supposed to mean?" Karkat repeated.

"You are all so slow," Terezi shook her head. "It's audible when each of them talks to Gamzee or Eridan. Though Vriska acts like she hates Gamzee, if you truly listen to her tone, it holds respect and adoration for him. It's slight, but detectable nontheless."

Equius thought while everyone was silent and spoke out. "But what about Sollux and Eridan?"

"Oh, that's easy. Sollux just looks at Eridan like he wants in his pants," John piped up.

The teenagers burst into laughter at John's comment. Karkat even let a chuckle loose. 

"John! That's terrible!" Jade cried out.

"You know it's fucking hilarious," Terezi commented.

Karkat scoffed. "Alright. Can we just all go to bed now? I mean, shit, it's almost 12 and I think we all need some fucking sleep."

"Yeah, let's retire for the evening," Kanaya agreed, getting up and heading off to the room she shared with Vriska. "Goodnight everyone."

The group dispersed and laid their heads to rest. Except for Gamzee and Eridan.

* * *

~Somewhere in downtown Tokyo~

Sirens blared as the two boys ran rampant through the streets, ducking into every alleyway just to avoid their imminent trouble. Eridan was holding onto Gamzee by the wrist, dragging him along. They had gone out to smoke again, but it turned dangerous pretty quickly. It had been a blur of Japanese men in suits, some machine guns and police sirens. They had ducked into another alley to wait, and Gamzee wanted nothing more than to bang his head against the brick wall that he and Eridan were now braced against. He was wheezing now, though he didn't have asthma. His head was swimming and he was jumping at every sound. Eridan had tried his best to calm down his friend, but when he failed, he began to panic. Everything was so blurred and rushed. 

More sirens pierced the air with their sharp, violent sound. A sound that, to Gamzee, screamed "You're fucking done for."

He inhaled deeply once again, feeling his heart shudder in fear. He looked at Eridan accusingly. "What the fuck have you dragged me into, Eridan?"

"I don't know, Gam! This shit sucks, I wanna go home!" Eridan was on the verge of tears.

"Fuck, Eridan, we're not going back to the states. We're gonna get arrested here and then we're gonna have to face an international trial and... GOD, man, WHY did you drag me into this?" Gamzee hissed, voice on the edge of hysteria.

"I didn't know it would get this bad, man! I thought they knew I was kidding!"

"Eridan, dudeq, I think we unleashed a fucking mon-"

A series of gunshots popped off nearby, and Eridan hit the cool asphalt, grabbing Gamzee just in time and taking him down with him. They laid there, covering their heads while the gunshots fired over and over again. When they removed their arms and looked up, they saw that there was no one near them and got off of the ground. Gamzee shook horribly and grabbed Eridan's scarf. 

"What the fuck are you doing?" Eridan whispered.

"We have to... We have to take off the shit that could identify us. As in, you need to..." Gamzee paused. "We might have to burn this, Eridan."

"NO. We're not fucking burning my scarf. It was my mum's. Okay... Look." Eridan unraveled the scarf and stuck it in his shirt, making him look like he had a gut.

"This'll have to do. Now, we need to get the fuck out of here," Eridan hissed.

Gamzee peeked out into the streets. Eridan was going to do the same until Gamzee popped back in spot and started hyperventilating.

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Dude, we fucked up big time. Eridan, we fucked up!" Gamzee's voice grew hysterical.

"What do you mean, Gam?" Eridan rolled his eyes and looked out into the street.

What he saw was shocking, since he'd come from a privileged neighborhood with no crime. Not too far up the street, the dead bodies of both police officers and government officials littered the road. The police cars were burning, and a limo was on fire as well. Eridan's eyes went wider than usual once he saw what was flowing down the road. Thick rivers of blood flowed just around their feet. Everything hit him when he realized that the cars were probably going to explode and take out a good chunk of the city block. He turned to Gamzee, who had started crying, and grabbed his wrist again. With resolve and disbelief coloring his voice, he said, "Gamzee. We need to run."

Gamzee nodded, and shook Eridan from his grip. The two boys began to run, their lanky figures sticking out sorely in the night. The people they passed were heading towards the source of the gunshots, and on the way, Gamzee tried warning them of what was going to happen, but they didn't understand his words. Just as they reached a large intersection, probably in the entertainment district, they were met with a huge, open fire engulfing the theatres and everything around them. The fires had spread to apartment buildings, and the screams of agony could be heard from anywhere you stood. The boys screeched to a halt and looked around them. Destruction. Pain. Suffering.

Eridan looked to Gamzee. "Did... Did we start this?"

At this point, Gamzee wasn't too sure what was true or not. But he turned to Eridan and replied, "I think we did, man."

Eridan shook his head. "We need to get back to the house. Now."

Gamzee scoffed and began to cry again. "How, Eridan? How do we get back there? It's fucking 12 30 in the morning, how in the hell are we going to do this? The taxis are busted, everyone's dying, and we fucking caused this! We've been fucking up all week! I can't even believe I made you get high with me in the first place! Look at what it fucking did, you stupid motherfucking asshole!"

Eridan cocked back his hand and slapped Gamzee. "Stop shouting it out, Gam! We can get away with this. Just shut the fuck up about it, and let's run back to the house!" 

Gamzee recoiled from the slap and nodded grudgingly. 

* * *

Karkat had been sleeping fitfully when he awoke to crash followed by a scream of terror. Upon hearing this, he sat up in his bed and quieted his breathing. The light flooded in from the open window behind him, which he'd left open overnight. He decided to get up and see what was going on. He stood up and stretched, then proceeded out to the living room. There, standing before the laptop that had probably been chucked off her lap, was Nepeta, mouth agape. Everyone came crashing out of their rooms, including Eridan and Gamzee. Nepeta looked up at all of them with tears in her eyes.

"Guys... We can't leave Japan."

Karkat snapped. "Why the fuck not, Nepeta?"

"All hell's broken loose," she wailed.

Kanaya stepped forward. "What do you mean?"

Nepeta picked up her laptop, which was surprisingly still intact, and showed them all the screen. On a news site, pictures of a destroyed, burning city littered its front page. Everyone's jaw dropped. The airport had been set on fire by citizens, none of whom had been identified as of that time. The government offices all around Japan had been dismantled completely. The worst picture of all was that of the U.S. Embassy. 

Nepeta read the article shakily.

"Reports coming in from Tokyo are saying that the death tolls around the city and surrounding areas are totaling up to half a million. The death tolls all over Japan are nearing almost 3 million as the numbers keep coming in. No data has been collected from the islands. These major deaths are said to have been brought by the Yakuza, or, the Japanese Mafia. Most of Japan's major leaders have either been killed or committed suicide in the past 24 hours. Japan is under no control at this moment. Aid from other nations should be expected in the coming days."

Nepeta set down her laptop and crumbled to the floor, along with most of the others. The only three that did not were Karkat, Eridan, and Sollux. John and Jade were holding each other tightly, with Jade sobbing profusely. Equius was trying to calm Nepeta. Everyone was clinging onto each other in disbelief, even if they weren't crying. 

There was no way to go home now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the ending seems shitty, but I promise. It'll be so much better later on.  
> More props to Noah for helping me formulate ideas ^^


	3. Why?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eridan spills the beans to Karkat about who is truly behind the government's collapse.  
> Note: This scene will be split into 2 chapters. The next one will be longer.

Eridan looked around the room warily, hoping that none of the others could see the expression on his face and that they were too busy freaking out about the chaos at hand. All except for Karkat and Gamzee. Karkat looked completely dumbstruck, in fact. His eyes were blank and his face had paled. Gamzee looked nervously at Eridan. His eyes held a slightly cautious, yet silently horrified look. Eridan thought for a moment about what he could do. He could either come clean to the entire group and face their wrath, and possibly the wrath of the police as well, or he could pull Karkat aside and attempt to keep things quiet. After a moment, Eridan tapped Karkat on the shoulder. He turned around, his usual irritated expression breaking through the numbness. 

"What do you need Eridan?" he asked, quietly for once in his life. Eridan silently hoped that he'd stay that quiet for the remaining duration of the day.

"Come with me and Gam. We, er, need to talk to you. In private..." Eridan pointed to the door behind him using his shoulder.

"Why?" Karkat's voice got a little louder.

"Just do it, okay?" Gamzee piped up, sounding far more tense than usual, which bothered Karkat.

"Alright, fine. But make it really quick, we need to figure this shit out, and soon." 

Eridan and Gamzee walked into the room first and, when Karkat finally got in, they shut and locked the door behind them. They turned at the same time and saw Karkat with a skeptical and wary expression upon his face. "You guys aren't gonna rape me or something, right?"

Eridan snapped. "No, we're not. Now listen..."

"We... we fucked it up big time, dude." Gamzee's expression was torn.

"Whoa, whoa... What the hell do you mean by that?" Karkat had planted his feet firmly and crossed his arms.

"Eridan, can you explain this? I can't even begin to, man..." Gamzee trailed off, looking around helplessly.

"Explain what? Fucking tell me already!" Karkat was growing impatient and more irritated by the second. 

"Alright! Karkat, we're responsible for what happened last night. What's been happening over the past week," Eridan spoke in a hushed tone, slurring his words.

Karkat paused for a moment, then, uncharacteristically calmly, responded, "You guys did all this?"

"Yeah, man, and we can't get caught," Gamzee pleaded.

Karkat was silent for a moment. He inhaled deeply and exhaled a quiet, disbelieving, "Really?"

"Look, Kar, we didn't-"

Eridan was interrupted by a raging Karkat tackling him to the ground. He wasn't quite screaming, but he was growling, savagely punching Eridan in the face. 

"You. Stupid. Fucking. Cunt! You killed all those people you piece of shit! Burn in fucking hell!"

Gamzee shook off his slight fear and yanked Karkat off of Eridan. Eridan got off the floor, a small bruise beginning to form on his left cheek. His dark hair with its purple stripe was completely disheveled, and his glasses were askew. Karkat was breathing like a madman, and shook Gamzee off of his arm. He looked at the both of them, back and forth, trying to search for the answer in their eyes. An answer for the animosity that had manifested from their hands which were now tainted with the blood of innocents. He turned to Gamzee, his dear friend, and with a crushed voice, asked the question. "Why, dude?"

"Okay let me clear this up. We didn't kill anyone, Kar," Eridan interjected.

"Shut up! I don't trust you, tool!" Karkat turned back to Gamzee. "Is he telling the truth?"

"Yeah, dude, I swear! All we did was go around telling people about an imminent economic collapse. And we set one little fire. One," Gamzee confessed, the words quiet.

"You guys didn't kill anyone on purpose?" Karkat clarified.

"No, we didn't," Eridan and Gamzee replied in unison.

"Then why in the fuck are millions dead?" 

"Kar, if you would've listened to Nep, you would have heard that it was the Japanese gangsters or whatever," Eridan sounded irritated.

"We must have talked to the wrong guy, said the wrong thing..." Gamzee trailed off for a second, his eyes growing wide. 

"Shit. Gamzee! I don't remember who the fuck we talked to!" Eridan facepalmed and groaned.

"Why don't you guys remember anything?" Karkat sounded confused.

"We smoked some of my best shit," Gamzee replied simply.

"Weed isn't supposed to make you turn into mischief-causing, stupid fucks that set shit on fire! It was probably fucking laced, Gamzee!" 

Karkat collapsed on the couch in the sitting area and let out an exasperated sigh. He spoke, but it was muffled.

"What was that, Kar?" Eridan inquired.

He lifted his head from the pillow. "I said 'You're both fucking morons!'"

After a few moments of silence, Eridan spoke.

"What the hell are we going to do, Kar?"

Karkat sat up, taking a deep breath while he did so. He stood up and sauntered toward Eridan and looked him up and down. Karkat then strolled over to Gamzee, looking at him up and down. He turned around, his back facing the both of them and walked to the window. He opened the blinds and was met with the sight of a beautiful garden, the front yard of his host family. He stared out into the brush and the trees, letting his mind wander for a couple minutes. Karkat carefully chose his words, then turned to Gamzee and Eridan.

"I have nothing. Do you two have any ideas?" 

Eridan and Gamzee looked at each other for a moment, communicating silently. After a minute or two, Eridan finally let out a sigh.

"Kar, it's a crazy idea, but it can work if we try."

"Well, tell me."

"So, basically, we need to take control of Tokyo. At least, try to."


	4. A Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eridan reveals his plan, which Gamzee actually didn't help come up with. Someone else gets involved as well, a certain Sollux Captor.

Karkat stared at Eridan in complete disbelief, his brain not registering what had been said right away. Take control... of Tokyo? With what, their boyish charm and good looks? Tokyo was still a big city, even with the death toll. And what if Eridan's plan extended past their immediate surroundings? What if Eridan wanted to take the whole of Japan after taking Tokyo? Karkat had known for a while now that Eridan had some weird power fetish or something. He always wanted control, almost as much as Vriska. Despite his doubts about the plan for a bunch of numbskull teenagers who could barely pass Government class to run a city of 12 million, Karkat decided it would be best to hear Eridan out on this. Besides, if he didn't, Eridan would never stop yammering. Finally giving in, he sighed, "This better be a fucking ingenious plan, Ampora, or so help me I will fucking kill you with my bare hands."

"Relax, Kar," Eridan insisted, his voice attaining an air of snobbery that everyone was so used to. "What I'm thinkin', and this is goin' to be the most sensitive part, since we don't exactly control it... We have to let the chaos ride for a week or two; hell, we could even contribute to it. But without anyone knowing it was us, right? So, from there-"

"Hold the fuck up, brotha. When did you come up with this?" Gamzee scratched his head in a daze.

"While I was attemptin' to sleep last night, Gam," Eridan smirked. "So, as I was sayin', I-"

"Wait, wait, wait. How in the fuck do you not acknowledge the goddamn fact that our stupid fucking government is going to step in pretty soon and most likely get us the hell out of here? Have you not processed this through your thick fucking skull yet, Eridan?" Karkat shook his head in irritation.

"I'm gettin' to it, Kar, Jesus Christ..." Eridan took a moment to re-collect his thoughts. "So, what I was sayin' was... We have someone else in the group keep track of whatever the fuck the United States are doin'. I was thinkin' Sol, mainly because he's a fuckin' amazin' hacker. He can get into the database and find out who's plannin' what. And then-"

"How are we gonna get Sollux to back us up, bro?" Gamzee's face contorted in confusion.

Eridan and Gamzee looked at each other for a moment, then turned their gazes to Karkat. The much smaller boy had been lost in thought, pondering over everything Eridan had offered up. It was a moment before he realized he was being watched. He looked up and spoke in a defensive tone. "What the fuck are you guys staring at me for? Take a fucking picture, it'll last longer."

"No, you fuckin' jackwagon, we need your help," Eridan growled through gritted teeth. He was beginning to become irritated with Karkat's belligerence.

"With what? I'm already in fucking cahoots with you guys, what else do you want?"

"Talk to Sollux, dude. About the hacking stuff," Gamzee answered.

"Why can't Eridan do it?" 

"Hello, I'm right fuckin' here. I can't do it because Sol doesn't exactly favor my company. And, besides, you two are best fuckin' friends." Eridan let out a huff. "Just fuckin' do it, okay?"

Karkat rolled his eyes. "Fine. But I have two more fucking questions. A) Why the fuck do you want to do this, and B) Who the fuck else is going to be a part of this? We can't just fucking take Tokyo by ourselves."

"Ah, well, the answer to question B: Everyone. Every single person out in that room sobbin' their eyes out and shakin' their heads in disbelief." Eridan crossed his arms.

"Okay, well answer my other question, you fuck," Karkat growled.

"Well, let me answer your question with another question. Isn't this a learnin' opportunity, Kar? A chance to attain what we could have never attained back in those miserable states? Think about it, Kar. We have the chance to experience power at its finest; we can run a city, and maybe even a country. At our young fuckin' age. Didn't you ever want to conquer somethin', Kar? As a child, or even now?" Eridan was now directly in front of Karkat, speaking in a smoothly dangerous tone.

Karkat took a moment. "Yeah, but that was fucking years ago. I gave up on that, Eridan."

Gamzee stood in the corner, watching the conversation quietly. He felt no reason to interfere with what was being said, and actually enjoyed letting the information soak in. Karkat had gotten up from the couch he was sitting on and walked to the window. He stared out at the garden and frowned. Eridan followed him and set a hand on his shoulder. 

In a tender voice, Eridan began to speak. "Kar, all of the shit out there... All of it could be ours. You could be our leader, Kar. You've been pushed around for years by Kankri. Haven't you always wanted to prove your worth to the world? This is your chance. Just hear me out on the rest of the plan. And I promise, you won't regret it."

Karkat was having an internal battle. Part of him wanted to punch Eridan in the face for bringing up his family and the fact that he felt so inferior all the time, wanted to leave Tokyo and get home right then and re-integrate into normal life. The other half wanted to listen, to hear him out and become a part of what could go down as the greatest accomplishment of teenagers in the history of the world. One half wanted the norm, the other yearned for something new; something amazing. ANd what Eridan was offering was beautiful, better than anything he'd ever received in his life. He finally made the decision.

"Okay, I'll listen. Tell me the rest of your ideas."

~An hour later~

Karkat, Gamzee and Eridan emerged from the room to find the front room a disaster. Nepeta was slouched over Equius' lap, her green eyes dry and reddened from the crying. Jade, John and Terezi had passed out in a huddle on the couch. Kanaya and Rose were in the other corner, reading and trying to distract themselves. Everyone else was probably in their rooms, so Karkat called out.

"Everyone, out to the living room immediately!"

Dave, Tavros, Sollux and Vriska emerged from the left side of the house. Dave's glasses lay askew on his face, and Sollux was missing his entirely. Vriska's were perched atop her head, and Tavros' usually neat mohawk was a mess. The sleeping trio in the living room had awakened and were now looking at Karkat lazily, except for Terezi of course. She was still laying back like she was asleep. Karkat looked around the room, feeling like people were missing. Just when he was about to yell again, Aradia came out of the kitchen with Feferi. They were each holding a huge plate of sushi, and set it down on the strange table in the middle of the room. Some of the teens ate, while the others sat and waited for Karkat to speak. Once everyone had finally gone silent and looked up at Karkat, he cleared his throat.

"Alright, so as you guys can tell, we're in a pretty fucking horrendous mess right now. I don't think anything could have gone more awry than this. But, at any rate, we need to get into the city. And soon."

The group began to fret, the only question being asked "Why?". Nepeta had started weeping again, and Feferi had began to blather about some thing or another. The first to stand up and confront Karkat was, of course, Vriska. 

"Why the fuck are we going into the source of destruction, Karkat? That's so beyond stupid!" 

Karkat let out an impatient sigh. "We need to know what's happening and when it happens, Vriska. We're 30 plus miles out, for all we know, we're completely shit outta luck as far as getting supplies goes. We don't have to wait much longer for aide to come, but if we're 30 miles out, we won't be rescued. So, gather all of your shit. We're going in town."

The group let out a collective groan, but they all reluctantly got up to get their suitcases re-packed. Karkat stopped Sollux though, as he was the last one to get up to gather his things. 

"Sollux, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure, KK, but what about?" His normally vibrant and grating voice had turned dull.

"I need to, er... Tell you something."

Before Sollux could object, Karkat yanked him into the room where he, Eridan and Gamzee had been just minutes before. When he turned around and locked the door swiftly, Sollux became skeptical.

"What's going on, Karkat?" His eyes narrowed.

"Okay, so don't yell or anything. This is a secret initiative for the meantime, and what I'm about to tell you is secret. You know all the hell that just went down?"

"...Yeah, what about it?" Sollux had raised his right eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Well... Eridan and Gamzee went crazy and caused a majority of it. Not meaning they killed anyone, because both of them swore they didn't. But they ran around Tokyo saying things to anyone that fucking spoke English. Big-time conspiracy shit. And they must have said the wrong things to the wrong guys, because they found a bunch of dudes dead in the streets or some shit. And apparently, they thought it was a fucking great idea to start a fire downtown, and it burned most of the housing areas."

Sollux's jaw seemed to hit the floor. "What the fuck?"

"I know, but keep listening. So Eridan comes to me and pulls me aside. Me, him and Gamzee came in here so they could explain that to me. Then Eridan gave me this... Plan. A plan that could maybe save our asses."

"Where the fuck do I come into this?"

"Sollux... How good are you at hacking computers, more specifically, government-based websites and files?"

"I'd say pretty fucking exceptional, why?"

"We'll need your skills to keep us posted on the activity of the US military, and probably the Japanese military. We also need you to create... Propaganda, so we can dupe the citizens into siding with us." Karkat felt a pang of guilt at his words, but it was almost too small to recognize.

"Well, KK... This is a fucking insane idea. I'm not even sure if I can break into the US database unnoticed. And besides, what's the fucking objective of this?" Sollux uncrossed his arms and was now rubbing his temples.

"We need to prove to the world that we are something. We all need to prove to our parents that we aren't useless and worthless, that we are able to do things. I know you feel that need, Sollux."

Karkat had grasped his friend's shoulder, much like Eridan had grasped his.

Sollux sighed. "So you want me to hack into government databases so we can know what they're gonna do and stop them?"

"If you can. But let me type, because the way you type is fucking stupid."

"There's no need, I'll make sure that I type like a normal person."

"So you'll do it?" Karkat's eyes glistened with contentment.

"Only because you're my best fucking friend, KK."

Sollux held out his hand and shook on the deal with Karkat.


	5. Questions, Answers and Dead Bodies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love confessions fill the air and the team discovers the piss-poor state of Tokyo.

Karkat and Sollux left the small room and went into their shared room. Karkat threw his suitcase down on the bed he'd claimed for the week and began to throw his things into the compartment, not even bothering to fold it. Sollux, on the other hand, was taking his sweet time to fold everything with great care, though they really didn't have time for that. When Karkat noticed this, he groaned. Sollux turned around immediately.

"What?"

"We don't have time for your neat and orderly bullshit now, man. Everyone's almost ready to go and-"

Just then their door swung open. In its spot stood Eridan, who had surveilled everyone as they got ready. He'd kept a majority of his things in his suitcase, so he'd been done re-packing rather quickly. Eridan made sure he went rather unnoticed though, since he would get strange look and possibly questions. He walked into the room.

"Hey, asshole, what do you need?" Karkat crossed his arms. 

"I just wanted to let you know that everyone is done packin'..." Eridan's eyes trailed to Sollux, standing by his suitcase. "Except for that fuckin' tard. Hurry up, Sol, we don't have time for this shit."

"Yeah, yeah, I know Eridan, now shut the hell up and go away," Sollux's voice was unusually gruff. Eridan mistook it for hatred.

He shrugged and looked back at Karkat. "Help him out or somethin'. He might need it."

Without another word, Eridan turned his back and left. Karkat muttered something under his breath that even he barely heard. He zipped up his suitcase and turned on his heel to go help Sollux with packing. He watched for a moment as Sollux folded, and began to mimick it. While Sollux folded a pair of jeans, he spoke up.

"He's not really that much of an asshole, you know," Sollux remarked quietly.

"What are you talking about, Sollux?" Karkat paused for a moment, holding a t-shirt.

"Eridan isn't really too much of an asshole, like you think. He's more of a tool..." Sollux trailed off, mumbling something under his breath. 

Karkat turned his head quickly. "What did you say?"

"Nothing, KK," Sollux sounded nervous.

Karkat threw the shirt into the suitcase. "Sollux, don't lie to me. What did you say?"

Sollux threw the jeans in the suitcase and stormed to the door. Instead of walking out of it, Sollux shut it and sat Karkat down on his bed. Karkat gave Sollux a skeptical look as he paced back and forth, a look on his face that indicated he was thinking, and thinking hard. Sollux finally stopped and faced Karkat. He sighed.

"Promise you won't laugh, dude?"

"I promise, you fuck, now talk." Karkat tapped his foot.

"Fine. I said, 'He's a cute tool at that.' I... I like Eridan. I might... I might love him even. I don't know... He's an asshole, but he's a cute little fuck and I can't help it." The words rushed out like the waters of a river. "Happy now, KK?"

Karkat took a moment to let it sink in. He wasn't exactly surprised, but that had still caught him rather off guard. Sollux Captor, the fucking nerdiest kid in their class, hell, in their school, had a crush on the most hated, stuck up piece of shit at their school. Eridan fucking Ampora. Eridan. Ampora. The kid who had verbally harassed Sollux throughout middle school and acted like a complete douchenozzle to him throughout high school. Only in the past few months had they begun to approach each other more casually, and maybe that's when Sollux got the little crush. Karkat wasn't exactly shocked that his best friend was gay, either; he'd suspected it for a while now, the way that Sollux never seemed terribly into the girls he dated and had sex with. But he was still a bit jolted by this. 

"You like... Eridan?" Karkat rested his forehead in his palm.

"Yes, I do, okay? He's got this thing about him that I really, really like. Maybe it's the way that... I dunno, the way he seems to take an interest in the things I say sometimes. Maybe it's because he gives off that vibe of 'I don't care'. But KK... I'm... I'm in it deep."

Sollux was now staring down at his shoes, and from what Karkat could see, he was blushing. Karkat got up from the bed and patted Sollux on the back. 

"Look, man, I still don't understand why you're choosing to like Eridan. He's a douche who will only treat you like shit," Karkat sighed.

"No he isn't, KK. He's got a good side to him, I know he does. He... he needs love, you know?"

"No, he doesn't, he deserves to be alone!" Karkat's choice was set in stone.

"KK. Have you ever seen him with girls, or guys for that matter? Everyone hates him and no one gives him a goddamn chance to prove his worth. Maybe that's why he seems to hate everyone, dude!" Sollux was getting extremely defensive.

Karkat rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever. I can't change your mind, Sollux. But if that fucker hurts you, I swear-"

"KK. It'll be fine. Now let's finish packing."

Karkat looked at the enormous pile of clothing still left. "That's a good idea."

~Meanwhile~

Eridan slowly backed away from the door, feeling his thoughts blanking and stomach dropping. No, no, no. This couldn't be true. This simply couldn't be true! Sollux didn't like him. Sollux hated him like everyone else, right? Sollux was just saying things to say them. He knew Eridan was by the door most likely and just wanted to screw with his feelings. Yeah. That's what it was. Still...

 

Eridan had that sense of doubt that always came with this sort of thing. The doubt of his thoughts being true. Maybe Sol did truly like him, and the thought of Sol possibly loving him was enough to make him blush and regret everything rude he'd ever said to the boy. Sure, he meant those things when he said them, screamed them, furiously hissed them, but as of recently, he'd found less and less reason to do so until the only insults they ever exchanged were playful. Maybe he liked Sollux, too?

No, no, NO! That was NOT acceptable! Not because Sol was a dude, that had never been the issue; but because Sollux came from a much, much lower class in society than he. Eridan was one of the richest kids in Portland, with status to match the wealth. His parents had made it very clear that they'd wanted him to date girls from families like Feferi's; rich, upper-class snobs like them. 

Eridan's head began to hurt in confusion and his throat went dry. 

"This is the worst time to have heard this," he croaked to himself, rushing back to the room he shared with Gamzee. 

When Eridan came in, Gamzee was relaxing on the bed, reading a comic book he'd bought. Eridan vaguely recalled its term, manga, or something like that. Eridan sat down on his bed, threw his suitcase off and laid down on his stomach. He stuck his face in the pillow and groaned. This brought Gamzee out of the fantasy world of the manga and back to where he was. He looked over to Eridan and raised an eyebrow, soon realizing that Eridan didn't notice. He got up and shook Eridan's shoulder. Eridan groaned and rolled over.

"What's grindin' ya, bro?" Gamzee asked, taking the spot next to Eridan.

"It's... It's not important. It's quite silly, actually. You'd laugh," Eridan whined, letting his head fall back into the pillow.

"Eridan, man, you gotta stop doubting me. Now tell Brotha Gamzee what's on your mind." Gamzee patted Eridan's back. 

"Can you go shut the door first?"

Gamzee obliged and got off the bed. He walked over to the door and shut it quietly, then rejoined Eridan who had now sat up. Eridan looked Gamzee straight in the eyes and sighed. "You promise you won't laugh?"

"You got my motherfuckin' word, bro," Gamzee smiled.

"Alright... Well..." Eridan took a deep breath. "So Kar and Sol shut the door to their room and because of... The plan... I thought they were plottin' somethin'. You know, as a counter-initiative or some shit. Well... I stood by the door and listened. And, instead of bein' what I thought it was... Gam... Sol told Kar that... That he... Liked me... And he didn't... Know... Why..."

Gamzee opened his mouth to say something, but Eridan stood up abruptly with his back to Gamzee. "And, alright look, it would be totally weird if I liked him back, because my family would be royally pissed, and you of all people know how pissy parents are, they suck, a lot, and my parents are concerned with the status bullshit, I mean, why do you think Cronus is havin' trouble findin' a girl? Because the only other high-status families in fuckin' Portland are the Peixes' and the Megidos. Cronus isn't too fond of Damara, and to him, Meenah is just a really good friend. It's a bullshit situation and everythin' would be better if my fuckin' parents weren't classist pieces of shit! And for that matter, why does Sol even fuckin' like me? I'm a douche, a tool, a complete asshole! To everyone! Perfect example, look at all this shit I started because I was high! And I thought it was fuckin' hilarious! God only fuckin' knows what would happen if I were left alone for years. Oh, wait, that's ALREADY FUCKIN' HAPPENED. Fuck, Gam, I don't understand any of this! This could not have come at a worse fucking time!"

By this point, Eridan was ranting, waving his arms about as he raged. Gamzee was watching perplexedly, and when Eridan finally stopped, he sat there, dumbfounded. Eridan was still for a moment, then collapsed partially into Gamzee's lap, sobbing into his thighs. Gamzee had never seen his friend like this before, and it took a moment for the boy to adjust. But when he did, he set a gentle hand on Eridan's head and ruffled his hair. Eridan looked up.

"Gam, what the hell do I do? This is all so fuckin' confusin'..." His accent was thick as he cried, much thicker than usual, almost to the point of him sounding like his Scottish-born father.

"Okay, brotha, look at me." Gamzee waited until Eridan looked up. "That's better. Now, I'll tell you a couple of things. First, stop motherfuckin' crying. It's a disturbing noise, and it scares me. Second, I have never been in your exact situation before, my friend. But the one piece of advice I can give you is, go for it."

"But Gam, my pa-"

"I don't give a flyin' weasel shit what your parents think. Fuck them, fuck everyone. They don't matter, Eridan. Now tell me... Do you like Sollux back?"

Eridan took a moment to think. He breathed in and out a few times, effectively calming himself down. His brain, however, went on overdrive. Well, it's not that he ever really hated Sollux to begin with; Sollux had just been another person he was mean to. Sollux had been, unfortunately, a target for Eridan's childish cruelty over the years. But when it came right down to it... He wasn't weak. He was strong. Very much so. He always fought back when Eridan shoved or taunted, and he almost always won. Maybe that's what Eridan liked; the fact that Sollux was feisty. And, well, all judgement aside, Sollux was pretty attractive. Even with his stupid glasses. 

Eridan sighed a heavy sigh. "Gamzee, I think I do. I mean... He's the only one who has even admitted it. As far as I know, at least. I should jump at the chance."

Gamzee grinned. "That's it, my friend. You know what to do. Take the chance, bro, I promise you won't regret it."

Eridan sniffed a little and laughed. "Thanks, Gam. You're the best."

"No problem, my friend, now give me a hug," Gamzee opened his arms.

Eridan pulled his friend into his arms and squeezed. They stayed that was for a couple seconds, until Eridan pulled away and laughed. 

"My crying is really that hideous?"

Gamzee chuckled. "Yeah, it made me feel like crying, man, and I never cry. You know me."

"Yeah..." Eridan trailed off, smiling to himself.

He stood up as the door busted open, revealing an irritated Karkat. "Sorry it took so long guys. Sollux is a fucking moron and misplaced a sock. It's time to go now." 

Eridan and Gamzee nodded, grabbed their suitcases and followed Karkat out. He stopped suddenly and turned around. "Can you guys round everyone up for me? Sollux and I are gonna load the rental van and one of us is going to drive."

Eridan stopped a laugh. "Better not pick Terezi as the driver."

Gamzee laughed, but Karkat just shook his head and walked away.

 

* * *

 

After loading up the van and having a dispute over the best driver, Vriska was placed in the driver's seat. She had groaned once everyone decided upon her, but realized she had no choice. Besides, she thought it would be a cool opportunity to show them how she could break the speedometer on the van. Gamzee would especially appreciate it... She knew that someday soon, her feelings for him would throw themselves out in the open and that things would probably go down the drain, but she didn't worry about that as much as her task at hand. 

Everyone in the van was chattering, attempting to distract themselves from everything they were about to see. Nepeta was the only one who really wasn't vocalizing, and was clinging onto Equius, hiding her face in his toned chest. He was looking down at her and speaking words of comfort; she was more terrified than he'd seen in the entire time he'd known her. 

"Nepeta, please don't worry. Everything will be fine, I promise." Equius had started stroking her sleek hair and clutched her tighter to his form.

"But... Equius... We aren't going to be able to go home..." Her voice was broken and tired, nothing like the little squeak it usually was.

"We'll get home somehow, Nepeta, I swear. Don't worry anymore, please..." He kissed the top of her head sweetly and ruffled her hair.

"No, Equius, I don't think so... Something's gonna happen, I just know it." Nepeta tightened her hold on the strong young man and nuzzled his chest.

"Nepeta... As long as we've got each other, nothing can touch us." Equius stroked her hair again.

"You promise?" Nepeta finally looked up at him, her face contorted in uncertainty.

"Yes, Nepeta. I swear to you that we will get out of here in one piece and that when we get home, you and I will get out of that disgusting town with your cats and we'll find a new place to live," Equius spoke in a hushed tone.

Nepeta smiled up at her boyfriend, her best friend and said, "Okay, Equius. I believe you."

She returned to her spot on Equius' chest and snuggled right in. Equius looked down at her, the silly girl he'd grown so attached to. Beside them sat Eridan and Sollux, who had been shoved together last minute. Eridan did his best to keep his space, and Sollux stared at him awkwardly every now and then. Eridan had only caught him once, but after that kept his eyes averted and focused on the scenery out the window. They were still a bit far from the city, but he could see the smoke rising on the near horizon and frowned. He decided it was best to turn his head away to alleviate the slight guilt he felt, and the overwhelming sick sense of pleasure. He made the mistake of turning his head too far and caught Sollux staring again. This time, Eridan stared back, feeling the heat rush to his face to make him blush. Sollux got defensive and hissed, "What are you looking at, asshole?"

"N-nothing... I swore I saw a smile on your face is all... Y-you fucking weirdo..." Eridan turned his face down, still feeling Sollux's stare.

"Yeah, sure. Take a picture, douchebag, it lasts longer." Sollux turned the other way and crossed his arms.

In the last row of seats, Karkat sat with Terezi, Dave and Gamzee. Terezi and Gamzee were telling the dumbest stories they could think of, but they were only irritating Karkat. What  _really_ got under his skin thought, was the terrible rap music blasting from Dave's earbuds. What made him want to harm Dave was the fact that he wasd trying to rap along with it. After a few minutes, Karkat finally looked at Dave and yanked a bud out of his ear. 

"Bro, bro! I was bumpin' my tunes, you can't just do that, Karkat!" Dave shouted, his arms flying up as much as they could.

"I can do whatever I fucking want. Now turn down the douchey music, I'm trying to relax." Karkat slouched in the seat, glaring at Dave.

"Yeah, well so am I, man. Now calm down and let me live, asshole," Dave grumbled, putting his earbud back in.

He turned up the music louder, probably just to piss off the boy next to him. Karkat felt his rage build again and he turned to Dave slowly, his nostrils flaring and teeth gritting. He brought a hand up to Dave's wires and yanked both buds out at once. Dave was completely annoyed by this point and looked at Karkat angrily. "Dude! What the fuck! Stop!"

"Make me, you dumbass." Karkat held the earbuds in a closed fist, feeling the desire to crush them.

The only thing that stopped them was a large gasp that came from the in front of Dave. Karkat looked and saw Jade looking out the window, gaping. Karkat looked at what she saw and felt his stomach drop. What he saw was a lot worse than what he'd expected. They were just on the outskirts of Tokyo and the destruction was unfathomable. All of the trees had burned or were on fire, and the sidewalks were covered in blood. Vriska slowed down to avoid running over any possible pedestrians, any survivors. Everyone in the van surveyed the damage and was in complete shock. Even Eridan and Gamzee, who had seen what they thought was the worst of it. But this... This was even worse than what they had seen in the city the night before. They were not prepared for how the city looked now. 

Feferi spoke up first. "Who even did this?"

Kanaya responded, "The news said the Yakuza, but I'm convinced that some citizens are behind this as well. There's simply no way for a gang of maybe two thousand to destroy places all over Japan. There has to be more behind this."

Rose nodded. "That would be the only logical explanation."

"I can't fucking see any of this, you guys. Is that a good thing?" Terezi's voice rasped from the back.

"Uh, I'd say so..." Tavros replied, scratching his head.

"I would have to agree with him," Vriska agreed, absolutely disgusted by it all.

As they drove further into the city, the teens were greeted by piles of the dead and piles of ashen rubble. The big screens they had seen were busted up, if not completely burned from their foundations. The bodies lined the streets like mad and obscured the doors of the remaining buildings from view. Nepeta looked up only once, and when she saw the blood, she buried her face back in Equius' chest. John held Jade tightly as she trembled from the sights. Kanaya felt the urge to throw up. Tavros actually had to throw up and rolled down the window quickly to empty out his stomach. Vriska winced and yelled from the front seat, "Don't puke on the side of the van!"

"Vriska, I think that's the least of our damn worries right now! Keep driving!" Karkat shouted back. He looked at Tavros and patted his shoulder from the back. "It's okay, man."

After about twenty more minutes, the van full of teenagers found themselves in the heart of downtown Tokyo, where the destruction was its worst, by far. No small buildings stood, and the tall ones were reduced to six stories at the highest. John was most shocked by this and spoke.

"Who the hell decides this is a great idea? Better question, why in the hell did they decide it was a great idea?"

Jade looked up at him. "This doesn't make any sense."

Equius agreed. "I honestly haven't the slightest clue, John. This is all incredibly bizarre."

And it only got worse.


	6. A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone finally sees the wreckage in its fullness. This is kind of a filler chapter, since I really didn't feel like writing this chapter. Next update, I promise there will be more action, and definitely more emotion.

Karkat's heart pumped unsteadily in his chest as he saw the wreckage. He'd known it was horrible, but he'd had no idea to what degree. He felt himself become sickened with his disgust, and he was pretty sure he was going to blow up on Eridan again, and maybe even Gamzee. But that had to be saved for later, because throwing it out in the open suddenly would be throwing their lives away, and Karkat wasn't exactly prepared to deal with death of his friends or anyone in the group. He bit his lip and decided it was best to remain silent.

Vriska had stopped the van under a burnt tree and shut off the engine. She turned to everyone in the back and looked at Karkat skeptically. "So, leader of ours, what should we do from here?"

Karkat snapped. "Do I look like I fucking know, Vriska? I'm just as shocked as the rest of you are. Give me a moment to think, will you?"

Everyone had gone silent as they watched Karkat and Vriska staring at each other, waiting for the other to make a move. Finally, Karkat leaned back and sighed. "I guess we get out of the car with our shit and try to find a place that isn't on fire, or destroyed completely."

The group murmured in agreement and Vriska turned around in a huff. The doors opened slowly and one by one, the teenagers stepped out into the open. Soon after, they all began to hack and wheeze from the smoke that had mistakenly filled their lungs, and it was a few minutes before any of them could breathe normally again. They looked at each other in slight horror. 

Karkat stepped in front of the rest of the group and after coughing once, he spoke. "We need to find shelter somewhere, because I don't think we can stay in the fucking van for the rest of our duration here. We are not going to fucking split up, contrary to what you all might have thought. We're staying in the same damn area as each other. First order of business, shelter. Second, food. And thirdly, weapons. We need to be able to protect ourselves from anything. Is this fucking understood?"

The group said nothing in response, so Karkat nodded. "Alright. Let's set out for shelter."

The group of teenagers walked behind Karkat, Eridan and Sollux, who led the way through the smoky streets of Tokyo. They all held their bags tightly, making sure nothing fell out and was soiled by the ash-covered streets. Tavros and Gamzee were right behind the leaders, looking at each other after looking at their surroundings. Tavros whispered, "Boy, this city went to shit fast..."

Gamzee swallowed and forced himself to agree. "Yeah, man, it went down pretty motherfuckin' quick."

No one else spoke, either because they were too horrified or because they simply had nothing to say. Jade squeezed John's hand much tighter than he'd ever felt, and her fear made its way through him, too. They both trembled as they walked with their group, fighting the urge to run away from this all.

Kanaya looked around at all the wreckage, analyzing every little detail of the catastrophe. The was that the buildings had fallen indicated bombs of some nature, not just fire. She looked at the bullet-ravaged windows and determined that machine guns had been used to break them, and probably shoot and kill whoever had been inside. This sort of thinking calmed her mind. She took great solace in knowing that she wasn't one of the dead, and in knowing that she did none of this.

Eridan, on the other hand, had been silently freaking out for the past hour or two, feeling nothing but paranoia. This was his fault after all, though he hadn't remembered making things this bad. He'd sworn that the buildings had all still been intact... But now that he really thought about it, it had been approximately ten hours since they'd fled the city, and a lot of damage could have been done by that time. He did piss off a shitload of gangsters. He guessed that somewhere in his mind, he wanted to believe that none of this was really happening, that it had all been the concoction of some twisted, sick dream he'd had and that when he woke up, they'd all be going home. But the more that Eridan saw, the less dream-like everything seemed.

Karkat stopped the group in its track when they reached the only apartment building that didn't have the roof blown off of it. It didn't really have windows, but it looked big enough to fit all of them. Karkat motioned to the door.

“This looks like the only place we'll find for a while,” he announced, scanning the group for disapproval.

“I am not staying in there and getting sick, yo. That is some bullshit excuse for a shelter, man,” Dave's voice sounded as irritated as it could.

Karkat frowned. “Look, I don't give a fuck what you think. This is the best we have for now, so get over yourself and deal with it, Dave.”

Karkat stepped forward and opened the door. One by one, the teenagers filed in after him, the last one shutting the door behind them. Besides the light from the broken windows, the building was pretty dark and a bit creepy. Karkat rolled his eyes. “Can someone find the damn lightswitch? Like... Whoever's closest to the wall, can you feel for it?”

This was Rose's job, since she had been right by the door. She responded, “Yes, please give me a moment.”

She felt the wall, grasping for anything that could have resembled a switch. After a few minutes of fumbling and nearly tripping over some of the rubble, she found herself on the opposite side of the lobby from the rest. Her hand touched a switch, and she smiled to herself.

“Found it,” she called out as the lights went on.

The kids let out a unanimous groan as the light hit their eyes. Once they had adjusted, though, each of them looked around the lobby surrounding them. It was still relatively undamaged, besides the few windows that lined the walls. There were some bricks scattered around, possibly being the culprit for Rose's tripping. Other than that, the area was pretty clean. Karkat raised an eyebrow and walked slowly to the desk that sat in the far corner of the room. He looked behind it quickly, noting that there was no one behind it. He studied the ceiling and looked under the chairs every now and then. Everyone watched in silent perplexity. Karkat returned to them and sighed.

“This floor is secure. Now we have to go upstairs and find an empty apartment, because I'm pretty fucking sure there has got to be some other people still in here, and they're probably scared for their fucking lives.”

Nepeta frowned. “There's an elevator right there...”

Karkat disregarded her statement. “Too risky, Nep. It could stop at any time. We better just go up the fucking stairs.”

Karkat led the way up the wide staircase in the hauntingly quiet apartment complex. Every now and then, he would stop to press his ear against the door nearest him to see if there was anyone. So far, Karkat had surmised that no one was in this building anymore. Before too long, he found an unlocked door, three floors up, and cautiously opened it. He entered first, planning on searching the apartment for people. Slowly, the others entered the room, not making a noise. Karkat had come back to them and smiled a tiny bit.

“No one's here anymore... I think we can stay here for the time being.”

“This is actually pretty clean,” Rose remarked, sitting on the very modern-looking couch.

“The whole place has a nice modern-art feel to it,” Aradia pointed out. “That'll make adjusting to all of this so much easier.”

 "Easy for you to say, princess. You got everything easy." Vriska snapped, crossing her arms.

"Alright, let's not have a fucking petty fight over bullshit and figure out what we do from here," Karkat announced, getting in between the girls.

"I say we rest for a bit to let this all sink in, Karkat," John's small voice piped up.

"I second that motion," Kanaya urged.

"Fine, let's just rest... Not like there's a chance we could get killed in our sleep or anything like that!" Rose said sarcastically, drooping off of the couch.

"We can just lock the doors, Rose," Kanaya insisted.

Karkat shook his head and broke off from the rest. "I'm gonna go hide from the rest of you idiots. I'm not fucking dealing with this."

He stormed off into the short hallway of the apartment. 

**Author's Note:**

> So a friend I met on Pesterchum gave me some ideas for the story as a whole. I'd like to thank him ahead of time.  
> So yeah THANK YOU NOAH. YOU FUCKING GENIUS YOU.


End file.
